It's 9AM
Way back when you had it your way and lovin' it
Some of you never had a birthday at McDonald’s
And it shows
I know, because I never did
There was a McDonald’s on Main Street growing up
A single golden arch
And getting a single .29 cent cheeseburger was a real treat
More times than not, we got them to go, because Mom was taking my brother and I to a park
Or to a river to fish
Or sometimes it was after fishing and we pulled in for a cheeseburger whose taste I’ll chase for the rest of my life
But…
Never a Happy Meal, though to be honest, they might not have had them at the time
Never more than a burger each, shared small fry, shared small Coke, and I think I remember my Mom only drank a Coke herself
Which told me all I need to know about growing up Po
When a momma scrapes together a couple of quarters to pay for $3 worth of food
Just so the boys can have a treat
I tried to catch that kind of memory with my own kids
Treating trips to Macca’s and any out to eat as a special kind of way to treat
But the world evolved from how I grew up
Where eating out was done more often than eating in
Even as the food… changed
A McDonald’s cheeseburger tastes different today
Feels different in my mouth, even if it still smells good
The look is probably what has changed the most
The “quality” of construction has devolved
Grab a cheeseburger now and it’s lopsided, ketchup squirted all over the wrapper so that it covers the outside of the bun
Sometimes crushed and mashed together, like it’s been wrapped by someone full of rage and absent caring
Quite the contrast from my memory of childhood
Where it seems like I remember more… pride in putting together even a humble fast food burger
Maybe pride made it taste better
Though I suspect it was better ingredients
And one thing missing now that I remember
Are birthday parties
When we stopped and stayed and sat inside on a weekend
Someone was always having a birthday party with balloons and cakes and probably a trip into playland
The Cake had Ronald and Grimace and I “think” I remember seeing either Grimace or the Hamburgler make an appearance
Waving at all the kids, even the ones not in attendance at the birthday party
Never Ronald though.
Ronald was reserved for parades and special events
When the Rodeo came to town and paraded down Main
Stuck between the Shriner’s in their tiny cars and tinier hats
And the Rotary Club and their candy tossing float
The Homecoming Parade too, celebrating a college come home party
The Christmas Parade, close to the jolly old fat man and his jelly jiggle grin
But never at a birthday party that I saw
I always wanted a slice of that cake though
I can’t remember if I’ve ever tasted it in my whole life
And now it’s gone
Just a recipe hidden on the internet somewhere
Except the ingredients are gone or changed, so it won’t taste the same
But that’s okay
Nothing tastes like it used to
I use HAUL to find stuff at prices that are from the 70’s. I grabbed a soft “MOM” blanket for #10 to give his mom for her day last week AND added a few things to my cart for after the move.
AND
MASSIVE END of THE WORLD BIG BOXSET
MASSIVE WILD WESTERN BIG BOXSET
PLUS
Never had one either. Sometimes they smell better than they taste.